Pakistan Super League: PCB allows fast bowler Naseem Shah to re-enter bio-secure bubble

A few days after expelling Naseem Shah from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for breaching the tournament’s Covid protocols, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a u-turn after compromising on its Covid-19 protocols.

The board has allowed fast bowler Naseem Shah to re-enter the bio-secure bubble of his franchise Quetta Gladiators. The last 20 games of the postponed tournament are being played in the United Arab Emirates.

The 18-year-old Shah was expelled last Monday from the remainder of PSL after arriving at a team hotel in Lahore with an outdated negative test for Covid-19.

PCB’s protocols required all players traveling to Abu Dhabi to present a negative test taken not more than 48 hours prior to arrival at the team hotel. Shah presented a report on Monday from a test that was conducted on May 18.

However, after meeting with franchise owners, the Pakistan board allowed Naseem Shah to return to the team hotel after returning another negative test on Covid-19. Shah will then have to clear two more Covid-19 tests before boarding the last charter flight to Abu Dhabi for the tournament.

The PCB has not yet announced the schedule of the remaining 20 PSL games in Abu Dhabi. In March, the league was postponed when several players and support staff among the six franchises tested positive for Covid-19.

Shah is supposed to play a crucial player for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL. He rose to fame with his pace when he made his Test debut against Australia in November 2019 and then grabbed a hat trick in a Test match against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi last year. He has played in nine Test matches and grabbed 20 wickets.